Advice for all Ambitious Footballers ...

Never give up! Kerry's victory over Dublin last weekend had an interesting side-story as Mike Quirke explained last Tuesday in his Irish Examiner column. One of the successes on the night was the performance of Gavin O'Brien in the Kerry half forward line. Gavin was making his FIRST start on a Kerry team at any level and was making the 'jump to senior inter-county off the back of his first real year of playing senior club football in 2018. The only time he wore a Kerry jersey before this season was standing in the terraces as a Kerry supporter. Gavin O'Brien had played no part in various Kerry Development Squads or under age teams: 'he just wasn't ready yet, and that happens', Quirke explained.

According to Quirke 'Given the over-emphasis placed on winning at under-age in the majority clubs and counties, his story is one that should give real encouragement and hope to every young person who's struggling with their club or school team or didn't make a development squad, or county minors. ...

The moral of the story according to Mike Quirke is this 'if you are brave enough to challenge yourself to being as good as you can be it's never too late to go after something you want'.